In Week 12, the Browns will try to win their fourth straight game, which they last accomplished in 2020. They will face the Broncos, who have won four consecutive games and are back in the AFC playoff picture.
Here are three questions the Browns must answer to win on Sunday.
Will the Browns run the ball effectively?
The Browns will need to establish their run game against the Broncos on Sunday, especially with a loud home crowd cheering on the opposition. The Browns have rushed for over 150 yards this season in every road game.
The team is 2-2 on the road, but every game has come down to a late drive. The run game kept the Browns offense alive in those games and carried them through three quarters.
They must do the same against the Broncos. In their last four home games, they gave up 234 rushing yards to the Jets, 137 rushing yards to the Packers, 62 rushing yards to the Chiefs and 175 rushing yards to the Vikings. Out of all the games, the only one that was not a close call was the game played against the Chiefs in Week 8.
The Browns run game has continued to improve over the course of the season, as they have used the trio of RB Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr. to their advantage. They are averaging 142.7 rushing yards per game this season and 11 total rushing touchdowns.
The Browns run game must be effective Sunday if they want a shot to win in a stadium that is known to be hard to come away with a win.
"Their defense is pretty stout, but as always, we are going to find what we can find the open holes," Ford said. "We are going to try to get the run game going early or late and execute the best we can."
Will the Browns continue to protect the football?
In the last three games, the Browns offense has only committed two turnovers – an improvement from earlier in the season. On Sunday, they will need to continue this trend against a Broncos defense that has forced 11 turnovers in their last three games.
The Browns offense must contend with crowd noise and the Broncos defense and consider the Broncos' low turnover rate on offense.
During the Broncos four-game winning streak, they have not given up an interception and had two fumbles. If the Broncos aren't turning over the ball and the Browns do, they will lose the field position game.
"We just can't turn the ball over," WR Cedric Tillman said. "We won the turnover battle last week because we only had one. Whichever team turns the ball over the least puts themself in the best position to win the game."
Will the defense stop explosive plays?
The Browns defense has had a handful of miscues while playing on the road, leading to a big touchdown for opposing teams. They have allowed three plays on the road this season to go for 50-plus yards and a touchdown. Additionally, three separate plays went for over 40 yards, putting teams in the red zone.
The Browns defense would play very well throughout the day and then give up one play, leading to a score for an opposing team. Last week, the Browns shut down the Steelers offense, forcing them to punt nine times. However, they gave up a 74-yard touchdown run that put the Steelers back in the game.
Heading into Sunday's game against the Broncos, they will face an offense that has had five plays go for over 40 yards. Their longest play this season was 60 yards. The Broncos have big play ability, and the Browns have to tighten up in that area.
"We can always continue to be better, and you don't have to look at the stats because stats don't always tell the whole story," DE Myles Garrett said. "Did you do your best that play, and did you execute at the highest level? If you can't say that you did or that you have continue to improve, continue to elevate your brother. We still have ways we can improve and even be greater as a defense. I think there's still another level, like I said, but everyone has to be accountable for that."
